Wild Turkey

While Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are fairly common across North America, they are not native to California. These big birds were first introduced for hunting in the 1870s. They tend to live in mature forests where they travel in flocks and scour the forest floor for nuts. Wild turkeys are relatively large birds with mostly dark plumage and a red-blue head. Wild turkeys eat a large variety of foods, from insects and seeds to lizards.